New Podcast Series: Let's Get Real with Stephen Jones

Scripture Central is excited to announce a new YouTube channel and Facebook page called “Let’s Get Real with Stephen Jones” or @letsgetrealsj. Stephen will be doing weekly interviews with fascinating Latter-day Saints who share details of their lives you are unlikely to learn about any other way.

Stephen’s first guest is Chad Lewis, father of 7, grandfather of 2, Stake President, missionary to Taiwan, one of BYU’s all-time great tight ends, NFL player for 9 years, 3-time pro bowler, the list goes on and on. In this 1 hour and 5-minute interview, you will hear gripping stories about:

• Chad’s dad’s recovery after a massive stroke and brain surgery.
• The woman with the issue of blood and Jairus’ daughter.
• Alma Sr. and Alma the younger.
• Representing the NFL in China.
• Chad’s mom’s breast cancer.
• Chad’s mom’s leadership as President of the Alpine School Board.
• Chad and Michelle’s family scripture study and family prayer.
• Keeping the Sabbath Day holy while playing in the NFL.
• Vai Sikahema as a bishop.
• Playing for coach Andy Reid.
• The Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, February 12, 2023, before Super Bowl LLVII.
• J Dawg (Jason Edwards) asking to serve hot dogs to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chad will captivate you with gems of wisdom such as:

• All that (success) was made possible by being a missionary in Taiwan for 2 years – it changed my life in every meaningful way.
• I learned along the way how to work, how to handle hard stuff, how to attack hard stuff, how to not curl up in a ball and cry when you’ve got to do hard stuff.
• Planet earth is not really made for smooth sailing. It’s just made for working together, finding joy in the journey, solving problems, making it as great as possible, and going for it.
• We were humbled to the point of kneeling in family prayer on a hard floor in the hospital with our home teacher through the night praying for my dad.
• I’m seeing part of my DNA in action.
• Life is terrible. There is no way out – only through. (Adapted from Robert Frost “A Servant to Servants” in North of Boston [London: David Nutt, 1914]).
• No wonder Christ’s greatest invitation to us is a combination of love and repentance.
• I go to Taiwan as a missionary to proclaim what I’d just seen (miraculous healing).
• I deeply love my wife. I love my kids and family. And I love Christ and I want to represent him. I read the Book of Mormon every day. Why? Because that’s my connection to Christ.
• By reading the Book of Mormon every day, I feel like there’s a purpose to my life.
• My kids are having stuff all the time come up. I need wisdom.
• And guess what, lucky for me it made sense. It worked. It clicked. So when I came home (from Taiwan) I was a different human being. I had different confidence, I had different faith, different belief. I had the faith that I could walk on to the BYU football team.
• Being in the NFL, being in any football locker room, it’s not like being a missionary.
• My life is a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true.
• I testify that Tom Brady is throwing true passes (missionary Chinese coming out in NFL color commentary).
• My kids are miracles to me.
• Every part of life is moving up and down, all around. Yeah. We’re going through.
• The Book of Mormon describes the gospel in such amazingly clear and simple words, plain and simple descriptions. The Book of Mormon goes into such depth about the actual atonement that I’m able to understand way more than just reading the Bible what the atonement is all about.
• The Bible is a pillar. It’s a foundation. And so is the Book of Mormon.
• Even prophets have a whole bunch of garbage that they have to go through.
• When we remember Him, we have a chance to have a spirit that’s contrite. And it’s not phony. It’s real. We’re talking about genuine, real discipleship.
• I married an angel because my kids are 100 times better than I am.
• It’s easy to get selfish and only worry about your own stuff.
• Alma here he was praying his guts out for his son, who was a punk.
• Man, if I can be a dad like Alma. I know I had a dad like Alma.
• The Lord knows who we are when we’re 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 years old. He knows what’s going on.
• Even  though I didn’t understand it, it gave my spirit some texture.
• My bishop was Vai Sikahema in New Jersey and he was also the sportscaster at the time for NBC 10 Philadelphia. So my bishop would conduct church and after church he would be in my locker room interviewing me after the game.
• I would just say “Just watch how he (Andy Reid) lives, watch how he treats people.”
• And if you’re not willing, you’re just not meant to be on his team.
• I would say one of the most important things about life is being authentic, being genuine, being real. People can spot a phony from a mile away.
• You can love them and still not agree with the direction they’re going.

You will love Stephen’s interview with Chad. The chemistry between them is delightful. You will want your children and grandchildren to watch this first episode of “Let’s Get Real with Stephen Jones.”

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